Final firing from Wanetta’s milk house • Only 73 left of each pattern • Going fast
Wanetta's Hand-Painted Olive Oil Dispenser
Wanetta's Hand-Painted Olive Oil Dispenser
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Wanetta's Hand-Painted Olive Oil Dispenser
Thrown & painted by hand in Crooksville, Ohio
The oil bottle that keeps the light out, stands its ground and never drips down the side.
A heavy, hand-thrown clay dispenser with a pulled handle and a self-closing steel spout, painted with one of three flowers from Wanetta’s farm. Made for the counter next to your stove, not for the back of the cupboard.
The last 219 from the final firing“Your olive oil isn’t bad. Your bottle is.” — Wanetta
Made by hand in a milk house in Ohio
Wanetta Kuhlman painted dinner plates on the decorating line of a Crooksville pottery from 1972 until it closed in 1983. A year later she set up a used kick wheel and a small kiln in the old milk house behind her farmhouse.
In 1988 her husband Orval’s olive oil started tasting “like crayons” in its clear glass bottle on the windowsill. Two weeks later he knocked the bottle off the sill. The next morning Wanetta threw him an oil bottle out of clay, heavy at the bottom, with a handle and a spout that doesn’t drip. Neighbors asked for “one like Orval’s” for 38 years.
Arthritis in her shoulder means she can no longer center the clay on the wheel. These are the last dispensers she will make.
— Wanetta Kuhlman
Choose your pattern
Wild Rose
White wild roses with a soft pink blush on a grassy white ground, a yellow zig-zag border and a dark bottle-green handle. The roses along Orval’s old fence.
Red Poppy
One big red poppy with yellow daisies and blue forget-me-nots, a small butterfly and dragonfly, and a band of cobalt-blue flowers at the foot. Cobalt handle.
Rose Mallow
Big pink and sky-blue blossoms with red berries, painted all the way around from neck to foot. Cobalt handle. The flowers along the creek every August.
No two are exactly alike. Every flower is painted with a brush, so leaves, petals and borders vary a little from one dispenser to the next.
What arrives at your door
- 1 hand-thrown, hand-painted clay oil dispenser in the pattern you choose
- 1 stainless steel pour spout with a self-closing black flip cap, already fitted and tested over Wanetta’s sink
- Packed in paper and a sturdy box, so it arrives in one piece
Oil is not included. Fill it with the olive oil you already have.
How to use it
- Pull the steel spout straight up out of the neck.
- Fill the dispenser with olive oil or cooking oil. A small funnel makes it easy.
- Press the spout back in until it sits firmly.
- Hold it by the handle and tilt. The flap opens by itself, and a thin, steady stream comes out of the spout.
- Set it down. The flap falls shut, so dust and fruit flies stay out.
Six things that make it different
NO. 01
The dark clay body
Thick, glazed clay, painted all the way around. Light can’t get to the oil, so the dispenser can stay out on the counter.
NO. 02
The low belly
The weight sits in the wide, round bottom. A bump with an elbow makes it wobble, not fall.
NO. 03
The pulled handle
A loop handle with room for three fingers. You pour like from a little pitcher, even with stiff or oily hands.
NO. 04
The self-closing spout
Stainless steel with a black flap that opens when you tilt and closes when you set it down.
NO. 05
The clean stop
A thin, steady stream that stops clean. No drop running down the side, no greasy ring on the counter.
NO. 06
Painted by hand
Every flower is brushed on by Wanetta before the glaze firing. Pretty enough to leave next to the stove.
A clear glass bottle vs. Wanetta’s dispenser
| Clear glass bottle | Wanetta’s dispenser | |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Lets the sun straight into the oil | Thick clay keeps the light out |
| Standing | Tall and top-heavy, tips easily | Low, heavy belly that stays put |
| Pouring | Drips down the side | Thin stream, clean stop |
| Between uses | Open spout, dust and fruit flies | Flap closes by itself |
| Grip | Slippery, narrow neck | Loop handle for three fingers |
| On the counter | Ends up in the cupboard | Hand-painted, made to be seen |
From someone who cooked with oil every day
“Light and heat are what wear olive oil out. And most people keep it in a clear bottle right beside the stove, which is about the worst spot in the house. A dark, heavy container with a spout that closes is what we always used in the restaurant kitchen.”
Ray Dombrowski, retired chef, ran restaurant kitchens in Columbus for 31 years
Perfect for
The Kuhlman guarantee
90 days to try it at home
Use it by your stove for three months. If it isn’t the best oil bottle you’ve owned, send a short email to info@craft-folk.com and you get your money back. No questions, no hassle.
Good to know
- Dishwasher safe. Take the steel spout out first and rinse it by hand with warm water.
- Rinse the steel spout now and then with warm water so the flap keeps moving freely.
- Glazed clay is heavier than glass. That is what keeps it standing.
- Because every piece is thrown and painted by hand, small differences in shape and brushwork are normal.
- Ships within 1–2 business days with tracking. Free shipping within the US.
Product details
| Made by | Wanetta Kuhlman, Crooksville, Ohio |
| Material | Hand-thrown glazed clay, hand-painted |
| Spout | Stainless steel pour spout with self-closing flip cap |
| Height | About 9.8 in (25 cm) including the spout |
| Width | About 4.9 in (12.5 cm) including the handle |
| Patterns | Wild Rose, Red Poppy, Rose Mallow |
| Care | Dishwasher safe (rinse the steel spout by hand) |
| Shipping | Ships within 1–2 business days, free US shipping |
| Guarantee | 90-day money-back guarantee |
The Last Firing
The Last Firing
A note from Crooksville:
In 1988 Wanetta Kuhlman’s husband Orval knocked his clear glass olive oil bottle off the windowsill, and the oil in it had started to taste like crayons anyway. The next morning she threw him a heavy oil bottle out of clay, with a handle and a spout that doesn’t drip. For 38 years she made them in the old milk house behind the farmhouse. Arthritis in her shoulder means she can no longer center the clay on the wheel. The 219 dispensers from her final firing are the last, 73 of each pattern. On December 31 the wheel goes to the high school art room.
Free US Shipping
Free US Shipping
Free shipping across the United States
- Ships within 1–2 business days, delivery in 3–5 business days
- Every dispenser is checked and packed by hand
- 1 hand-painted clay oil dispenser with stainless steel self-closing pour spout, about 9.8" tall and 4.9" wide with the handle
- Oil not included · dishwasher safe (rinse the steel spout by hand)
- 90-day money-back guarantee — just email info@craft-folk.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
My granddaughter Shayla and I personally answer every single email — as fast as we possibly can. Whether you have a question about your order or just want to tell us where your oil dispenser ended up, we're here.
You can reach us:
- Mon – Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (CT)
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (CT)
Email: info@craft-folk.com
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Of course. We stand behind everything on Craft Folk 100%. If you're not happy, neither are we. Just shoot us an email within 90 days and we'll make it right — no hassle, no headaches.
How are your products made?
How are your products made?
Every single product on Craft Folk is 100% handmade — crafted by hand, using only premium quality materials. We're proud to carry on a tradition of craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations.